Life Isn't a Fairytale
by BurningRose FrostingDesire
Summary: After the death of her parents, ten year old Sonny Munroe is put in Marshall Home for Displaced Children. There she meets Chad Dylan Cooper. Follow them through their lives together. Full of hurt, lies, and lots of love! Four-Shot! Complete!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey Guys, it's Rosie, I know I should be working on my other story 9 month from hell, but I needed a break fromt that story! So here is another story! Enjoy!**

**Life Isn't a Fairytale **

**Pairing:Sonny and Chad**

**Summery: After the death of her parents, ten year old Sonny Munroe is put in Marshall Home for Displaced Children. There she meets Chad Dylan Cooper. Follow them through their lives together. Full of hurt, lies, and lots of love!**

**Rated: K+**

**Enjoy!**

...

Growing up I thought my life was perfect. When I turned thirteen, my world fell apart.

Mum and Dad had taken me out to my favourite restaurant for dinner. It was a great night. I was finally a teenager, the food was wonderful and Mom and Dad even organised a birthday cake for me, which a group of singing waiters delivered to the table. I was extremely embarrassed, not liking to be the centre of attention, but the cake was delicious so I couldn't be too mad.

By the time we left the restaurant, it was late and I was feeling really tired. I must have fallen asleep not long after Dad pulled out the parking lot. I don't remember what happened next, only what I was told later on. All I remember was waking up in a hospital frantically asking for my mum and dad. I asked everybody who came to my room, doctors, nurses, anybody.

Nobody would tell me, until finally an older man in his fifties came to see me. He was the one who told me that a drunk driver had run a red light smashing into our car, killing my mum and dad instantly. I found out later he, Marshall, was my appointed childcare worker.

I knew my world was never going to be the same.

I spent the next two weeks in hospital recovering from the broken ribs I received, only being visited by doctors, nurses and my childcare worker. I had no family other than my mum and dad. Both were only children, and their parents were long dead. With no aunts, uncles, or even close family friends, there was no one to look after me. When I was well enough to leave the hospital, Marshall collected me and took me to what would be my home for the next five years.

That was how I ended up at the Marshall Home for Displaced Children. At thirteen, I was too old for anyone wanting to adopt, and there weren't any foster homes for teenagers available. I went from having everything to having nothing. My family was not well off, just your average middle-income family with a mortgage. Once the house was sold and all the debts were paid, I wasn't left with much, just enough money to buy a second hand car when I was old enough and two suitcases full of personal possessions including a few family albums. That was all my thirteen years of life added up to: two suitcases.

The first few weeks at Marshall's place were probably the worst weeks of my life. My days were spent at school just going through the motions. The nights I spent in my bed crying until sleep finally claimed me.

After about three weeks of feeling as if I was drowning in a never-ending pit of despair, I met Chad. Chad was the same age as me, but had been at Marshall's, since he was six.

One night when I was crying particularly hard, I felt the bed behind me dip. I was so upset that I didn't register that it meant that someone had gotten into bed with me until I felt an arm wrap around me and a soothing voice in my ear telling me everything was going to be ok.

After that night, Chad and I were inseparable, like two peas in a pod. Whatever one did, so did the other. When I tried ballet, Chad did too, no matter how much teasing he got from the other boys. When Chad took up guitar, so did I, even though I sucked at it majority. Barely a day went by that Chad and I didn't see or speak to each other at least a hundred times.

Nights were always the toughest. Curled up in your bed alone was when the reality would hit the hardest. Memories of families lost and dreams of what could have been plagued each of our thoughts. Many a night was spent in each other's beds providing comfort. Those were always the nights that I slept the best.

For five years, it was Chad and me against the world.

All that changed senior year. Chad and I had both been working towards Dartmouth; we were in all the same AP classes and had the same GPA. However, when I got a scholarship and Chad didn't, reality came crashing down around us.

I told Chad that I wasn't going without him, that it had been _our _dream, and that I didn't want to do it without him. Chad, always the strong one, told me that I needed to go follow my dreams. I deserved to go to Dartmouth, and he was not going to let me waste my one chance to get the hell out of LA.

We had the best time that summer. We found a little apartment in the city; It was really only big enough for one person, but seeing as come the fall it would just be Chad's apartment, I didn't mind it being a bit cramped.

We did everything we had ever wanted to do together that summer. We visited museums and art galleries, rode the ferry, and spent hours upon hours running around the Pike Place markets and the waterfront. We even went to the beach and the zoo. All the while our separation loomed, present in our thoughts, as if we knew it was our last summer together. Come September we were heading in two different directions and might never see one another again.

The end of summer arrived too soon, and on the first of September, I packed my two suitcases and a duffle bag into the beat-up truck I purchased with the money left from Mum and Dad's estate. I stood in front of Chad's apartment building, and said good-bye to the only person in my life, knowing that there was a strong possibility I might never see him again.

We told each other 'I love you' that day. I promised Chad I would keep in touch, and I would come visit when I could. Chad gave me the biggest bear hug, and told me to go spread my wings and become the beautiful Sunshine he had always known me to be.

One thing I learned throughout the friendship I shared with Chad, Is that Life isn't a fairytale, but with Chad I knew I could make it through anything.

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	2. Chapter 2

**Only one more chapter left...**

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**I do NOT own anything**

**Enjoy!**

**...**

Chapter 2

My dream didn't exactly turn out to be what I thought. Not long after the fall term started, I learned that the scholarship was barely enough to pay the bills, let alone buy food or any luxury items like toilet paper. I realised quickly that I was going to need a job.

I managed to find a job in a smalll bookshop near campus. The manager was great, and let me work as many hours as I could to fit in. My classes and all the associated homework didn't leave much time for work. I was only earning enough extra money to keep me afloat.

During the first semester at Dartmouth, Chad and I emailed and talked on the phone every day. As Christmas came around, we realised that both of us were struggling to make ends meet. We barely had money to buy presents, let alone visit. The sadness we felt each time we talked started to be too much, and I think we both realised that we needed to let go.

As the years went on, the emails and calls got less frequent until the only contact we had was calls on our birthdays and at Christmas.

After working my butt off and going to summer school, I graduated early after only three years with my degree in Journalism.

I applied for countless position with as many newspapers as I could across the country, though I concentrated on Boston and LA. I desperately wanted to go home. As much as I hated all the bad memories associated with living in LA, I missed it. It was all I had known for the first eighteen years of my life. Don't get me wrong; I liked living in Hanover and I loved my job at the bookstore, but something always felt like it was missing. I never truly felt at home.

Unfortunately, the powers that be were not on my side. The only job I managed to find was with a local paper in Boston. I decided that a job in Boston was better than no job at all. In mid July, I packed up all my belongings, which now fit into three suitcases and a duffle bag, jumped in my aging truck, and headed for Boston.

Three years after starting as a Junior Copywriter at the Boston Herald, I worked my way up to a staff writing position, writing obituaries. It wasn't the most glamorous position, but at least I was writing.

I had been seeing James for a year and a half; he was an amazing guy, and treated me like a princess. The problem was that no matter how hard I tried to shake the feeling, I couldn't help but feel that not everything was right. I had a good job and was dating a great guy, but I just couldn't stop the nagging feeling in the back of my mind telling me this was not where I was supposed to be.

I was reading an industry journal one day when I saw the ad. If it happened, it would be the answer to all of my prayers. I updated my resume, enclosed a letter of application, and sent it to the La Times. They had an opening for a Journalist for the Society section. It was as if the universe was telling me it was time to go home.

I had been waiting three weeks for news when the call finally came. They wanted to interview me and would fly me out the following week. I immediately organised the time off from work, and then headed home.

When I got there, I grabbed my cell. I considered texting Chad and telling him, I was coming to visit, but I decided to surprise him instead. I then rang James, and arranged to see him for dinner. We needed to have a long overdue chat.

James arrived at six pm just as the oven timer went off; the lasagne was ready.

We ate dinner in relative quiet, neither of us saying much. After dinner, I cleaned up the dishes and put them away, then joined James in the living room. He was watching ESPN, which was what he always did while I did the dishes.

"James, we need to talk."

He immediately looked at me, concern written all over his face.

"Sonny, nothing good ever comes of those words," he said, as he turned the TV off and gave me his full attention.

"James, I am going to La for a few days next week." A puzzled look crossed his face.

"What for?" James inquired.

"I have a job interview with the LA Times."

"What do you mean you have a job interview? You're planning on moving to La?"

"Yes, James, that is the aim. I want to go home; I miss La." Every bone in my body told me that it was time to go home, that it was the right thing.

"What does this mean for you and me?" The miserable look on Jame's face told me that this was going to be a lot harder on him than I thought.

"James, you know I think the world of you, but my future isn't in Boston. I am not comfortable here. I want to go home to La."

"What's there for you in La?"

"I don't know, James, but I know what I am looking for isn't here."

"You're not even going to ask me to go with you, are you?"

"James, I think you and I both know that the love we have isn't the forever kind of love. I will always care for you, but I want you to be happy, and I know you won't be happy with me."

"Who are you to tell me what will make me happy?" James put his hand in his pocket and pulled out what looked like a ring box. My eyes almost fell out of my head. "Sonny, I have been carrying this box around in my pocket for two weeks now trying to figure out the best way to ask you. Guess there's no time like the present." He took my left hand in his, and got down on one knee. "Sonny, I love you and I will love you forever if you let me. Would please do me the honour of becoming my wife?"

I looked down at the ring he was holding out to me, and instantly knew what my answer was.

"I'm sorry, Jamess. I can't, my answer is No"

I saw Jamess's heart shatter into a million pieces, but I couldn't give him what he wanted. I didn't feel at home with him; he was not my forever.

Jamess got to his feet, put the ring back in his pocket, and walked out the door. That was the last time I saw or heard from him.

Life is never a fairytale without lots of bumps down the road.

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	3. Chapter 3

**Big Credit to BeautifullyDepress AKA Sarah, She helped a lot in this chapter! **

Chapter 3

As I sat squeezed into my cattle class seat on my way to LA, a million things were running through my mind. Would the interview go well? What if I got the job, where would I live? Would Chad be pleased to see me? It was with that last thought that I felt the nerves hit me; it had been six years since I had seen Chad in person. We talked on the phone occasionally, and I had seen a picture or two that he had sent me. Other than that, it had been six very long years since I had wrapped my arms around Chad, told him I loved him, and that I would come back.

As I exited the airport and jumped into a cab heading to my hotel, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief wash over my body. It was as if my body knew this was where it was supposed to be. I felt all the discontent and anxiety seep away, leaving me feeling like a new person.

As I looked out the window and saw the Space Needle towering over the skyline, I was reminded of the time Chad took me to dinner there for my seventeenth birthday. He told me that a special girl deserved to do something special on her birthday. I found out later he had been squirreling away money for six months to be able to afford it.

He always put my needs before his; it was like this integral part of his DNA to protect me and make sure I got the best out of everything. As I continued to look out the window, I was assaulted by memory after memory of times I had spent with Chad; there wasn't anywhere I looked that didn't in some way remind me of him.

It was the voice of the taxi driver announcing the arrival at my hotel that jolted me out of my memories and back to reality. I handed over some cash and told him to keep the change as I hopped out carrying only my purse and the small overnight bag I had brought. I was only going to be in town for about a day and a half, so I only really needed a few items.

When I got to my room, I dumped my suitcase on the floor at the end of the bed and grabbed my cell. I checked the time on the clock next to the bed. It was 7.30 pm. Yep, still early enough to call. I needed to talk to Chad. My interview was in the morning, and then I was going to drop by and see Chad, but I needed to check where he would be. Chad worked for a small contracting firm that did renovations. I needed to find out where he would be working tomorrow, so I could surprise him. I sifted through my contacts until I found Chad's number and hit call.

"Hello," he said.

"Hey," I said in return.

"Sonny?"

"Yeah, it's me. Who did you think it was?"

"I don't know. I wasn't expecting any calls, and I didn't look at the caller id before I picked up. So how's my Sunshine doing?"

"I'm doing great. Writing obituaries is not as easy as you think it would be."

"Yeah, sure. I'm sure you get so exhausted moving your fingers over a keyboard."

"Hey! Just because I don't end up all grimy and sweaty at the end of the day doesn't mean I don't put in a hard day's work."

"Hey, I don't end up all grimy and sweaty every day; some days I just end up plain dirty."

"God, Chad Dylan Cooper, you can be so cheesy sometimes. Speaking of getting dirty though, how is the contracting business going?"

"Yeah, it's going good. We're currently working on this hotel reno down by the wharf, the Hotel Condor."

Well, that was easier than I thought it was going to be.(A/K: It means She was trying to find out were she could find him)

"So, Sunshine, to what do I owe this phone call? I know it isn't my birthday or Christmas."

"Can't a girl just miss her best friend, and want to ring and say hello?"

"Yeah, of course you can, but something in your tone of voice tells me that isn't the only reason you're ringing."

Damn, why could he always see straight through me?

"Fine." I huffed. "I broke up with James." It was the truth; it wasn't the whole truth, but it definitely was the truth.

"Awww, Sweetie, what happened?"

"We just saw our relationship going in two different directions." He didn't need to know all the gory details.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that, sunshine, but you know what I always say 'things happen for a reason'. Maybe there's something better waiting right around the corner."

"I hope so," I said. I glanced at the clock. It was now after eight, or eleven, Boston time. No wonder I was feeling so tired. I tried to stifle a yawn but was unsuccessful.

"Oh my God, look at the time" he said, sounding almost mortified that he was keeping me up. "You should be in bed, Sweetie, it's late."

"Yeah, I was just thinking that." I said as another yawn made its way out of my mouth. "It was nice catching up. I should call you more often."

"Yeah, we should definitely talk more often; I miss you, sunshine. I can't believe it's been six years since you left for Dartmouth; it feels like a lifetime."

"I miss you too, Chad. Night," I said, barely keeping my eyes open.

"Night, Butterfly." And with that, he hung up the phone.

I barely managed to get myself into my pj's and into bed, before sleep claimed me.

I woke up the next morning excited to see what the day was going to bring. I showered and got dressed quickly. I grabbed my resume and headed out to get some breakfast before heading over to the offices of the Seattle Times. I waited in line forever for a coffee. By the time I actually got my drink, I looked at my watch and realised I better hurry up if I didn't want to be late.

I walked into the LA Times offices with barely a minute to spare.

The interview went fairly well from what I could tell. The editor seemed nice enough and the work was basically the same as I was doing in Boston. I left feeling that there was a good chance I would get the job.

After the interview, I quickly headed back to my hotel room. I changed out of my suit and into and pair of jeans and a t-shirt, swapped my heels for sneakers, and headed down to the wharf. I walked along the wharf for about a half an hour before I finally found the Hotel Condor. I walked onto the job site and up to the first guy in a hard hat I could find.

"Excuse me," I said, tapping the guy on the shoulder.

"Yes, Miss," he said eyeing me suspiciously. "How can I help you?" he asked.

"I'm looking for Chad Dylan Cooper."

"He's up the scaffold," he said, pointing at the mass of steel piping on the side of the building. "Hang on a sec, I'll get him down for you."

The big burly guy yelled at the top of the scaffold letting Chad know there was someone here to see him.

With that, I saw Chad pop his head over the edge of the scaffold to see what the hell the guy was talking about. I looked up so he could see my face.

"Sonny?" he asked, the disbelief clear in his tone. I just nodded my head.

"Don't you move; I'm coming down." He all but squealed in excitement.

As he hit the bottom of the scaffolding, he ran over to me, swept me up in his arms, and swung me around in the biggest bear hug. That was when it hit me; this was home, not LA, but right here in Chad's arms. This is what I had been missing for six years, where I had been yearning to be.

Like it? Hate it, tell me in your reviews!

-Rosie


	4. Chapter 4

Aw, Last Chapter...Big credit to, Sarah, (AKA BeautifullyDepress) for editing, and writing!

Thanks for the reviews!

Chapter4

He finally put me down on my feet, and leant back a little to look at me. "What are you doing here?" Shock written all over his face.

"I had a job interview this morning with the LA Times. I thought I'd come say hello while I was in town."

"You're moving home?" he almost yelled in my ear.

"I am if I get the job." I smirked at him.

With that, he swept me up into another giant hug.

"Wait right here," he said. "Don't move." He turned and ran towards what was probably the on-site office and disappeared inside.

After about ten minutes, he came back, a giant grin spread across his face. "So have you had lunch yet?" I just shook my head to indicate no. "Well, come on then," He said as he grabbed my hand.

We spent the rest of the afternoon chatting and reminiscing. We filled each other in on what had been going on in our lives. I owned up and told him the whole truth about James. He told me about this man-eater of a girl he had been seeing, Portlyn, whom he had broken up with just after New Year's.

The more we talked, the more I realised that this was what had been missing in my life. I couldn't remember feeling as content as I did right then sitting with Chad. He made me feel like I was the only girl in the world, and then it dawned on me. How had I not seen it before? I loved him, not just the kind of love you have for family, I was _in_ love with Chad.

I suspect I had always been in love with him; I was just too scared and withdrawn to recognise my feelings for what they were. I made the decision right then and there that I was going to do whatever it took to make him mine forever.

As dinnertime rolled around, I sensed that neither of us was willing to part just yet.

"So what are we doing for dinner?" I asked.

"What would you like to do?" he replied. Same old Chad always wanting to make sure we did something that would make me happy.

"Well, I was thinking we could just head to my hotel, order a little room service and just continue with the trip down memory lane."

"Yeah, that would be great. We have to drop by my place first so I can have a shower, and get out of these filthy work clothes."

When we got to his place, he pointed me to the lounge in the living room while he ducked off to get cleaned up. As I sat there looking around his sparsely decorated living area, I realised that there was nothing really of a personal nature on display until I noticed the one single photo frame on the mantel.

I walked over and picked it up; the picture it contained almost stopped my heart. It was a picture of Chad and me taken the summer before I left for Dartmouth. He had his arm wrapped around my shoulder, pulling me to him. We were looking into each other's eyes, giant smiles on our faces. Looking at the picture, you could have sworn it was of a couple deeply in love. Maybe it was, and we were both just too young and wounded to know what we had.

Just as I put the picture frame back on the mantel, Chad came back looking like sex on a stick in a pair of low-rise blue jeans and a black button-down. I wondered how I had never noticed how sexy Chad was. It was like I had been wearing blinders all these years, and now that they had been removed I could see everything.

"You ready to head out?" he asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be," I said as he took my hand leading me out the door.

When we got to my hotel room, I realised that there wasn't anywhere comfortable to sit other than the bed. I hoped that it wasn't going to make things uncomfortable between us. Then I remembered back to when we were kids we spent many a day or night sitting in one another's beds cuddled up talking, keeping each other company. At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to spend the night cuddled up to Chad just like I used to.

After we had dinner, I crawled up on the bed, resting my back against the headboard, and stretching out my legs in front of me. I patted the place beside me indicating for Chad to join me. He crawled up and flopped down beside me. We continued chatting for most of the night until I realised that it was midnight. I needed to go to sleep if I was going to be up by seven to make it to the airport in time for my flight.

"I guess I'd better get going then, so you can get your beauty sleep," Chad said, looking like he wanted to leave as much as I did, which was not at all. Just as he got to the edge of the bed, I reached out and grabbed his hand.

"Stay," I said pleading him with my eyes. "Sleep with me like we did when we were kids."

"I can't, Sonny, we're not kids anymore."

"I know, but I've missed you so much. I go back to Boston tomorrow; who knows how long it will be before we get to see each other again?"

The look on his face told me I was weakening his resolve, so I decided to pull out the big guns.

"Please, Chad. I have spent the last six years feeling as if something was missing, but not knowing what it was. When you hugged me today I realised that it wasn't LA that I missed at all... it was you. You are my home, Chad."

"God, Sonny, you can't say things like that to me. Do you have any idea what that does to me?"

"Chad, it has taken me a long time, but I have finally realised something I think I've always known. I love you, not just because you're family, but because I am in love with you. I think I always have..."

Before I could even finish my sentence, Chad was across the bed, his lips melding with mine. There was more passion in that one kiss than I had ever felt before. I kissed him back with every ounce of fire that was burning in the pit of my stomach. My body felt alive for the first time in a very long while. When he pulled away, I could see the love shining in his eyes, the same love I'm sure was reflected by my own.

"Do you have any idea how long I have waited to hear those words come from your mouth? I have been in love with you for as long as I can remember. When I sent you off to Dartmouth, I lost a piece of me that I thought I was never going to get back."

He kissed me again, and I felt it in every part of my body, from the very tips of my fingers to the tips of my toes. It was like an electric current was buzzing through me, making every single nerve stand on end. In that moment, all I wanted was to be one with Chad.

Life is never a fairytale, not with out Chad Dylan Cooper.

Like it? Hate it? Tell me in your reviews!

-Rosie


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